Tag Archives: food

Last weekend, August turned three! As requested, we threw him a dinosaur birthday party. Grammy and Grandpop and Aunt Rachael all flew in for the occasion and we decked the house out in dino-craft ideas Pinterest so nicely provided for me (I can execute a dinosaur balloon, but I cannot dream that up on my own …). You can see my Pinterest inspiration page here; judge for yourself how we did copying it all! Thank you to all the wonderful content creators out there. August loved his party.

At three, Augie is kind, curious, smart. The questions he asks us keep us on our toes!

A 90th birthday brunch, what a privilege! The very elegant Mrs. Kramer celebrated the milestone with a lovely brunch at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California. Surrounded by her family, including six great-grandchildren, she is an inspiration. Congratulations, Mrs. Kramer!

I recently got to return to a wonderful Boston venue for another intimate dinner wedding, which is what XV Beacon Hotel and Mooo Restaurant do best! Melissa and Dan invited their families to watch them tie the knot in Mooo’s gorgeous wine cellar. Melissa rocked an awesome cocktail wedding dress by Herve Leger and we got to do a fun photo session of the couple before their ceremony and party. With her fiery red hair and the love these two obviously share, it was a pleasure to photograph this couple! What a stylish night overall!

It was the magic hour and the wonderful Sean and Melissa trekked out to the gorgeous Medford Fells with me for their equally magical engagement session! It was a fairly chilly autumn day, but Melissa braved it in a lovely sleeveless dress, and we warmed up a bit as we hiked around, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable! The Fells are amazing – really lovely, especially in the fall, and they made the perfect backdrop for these lovebirds. Congrats on your engagement, friends!

I am excited to share my brother- and sister-in-law’s wedding! It was a wonderful weekend in New Hampshire and everything was just beautiful. It was such a pleasure to welcome Michelle into the family! She worked so hard on all the gorgeous details and they all came out so well. Some of my favorite moments of the day were Michelle getting ready with all her lovely lady attendants, the ceremony processional with bubbles, the enthusiastic wedding party, the Williams brothers’ impromptu song/speech, a high-five post cake cutting, Michelle’s mom’s reaction to the father-daughter dance, and the Middlebury College tradition of stripping off shirts whenever you hear Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” – that really brought me back! So many good memories. Without further ado … Michelle and Evan!

Molly and John put on an absolutely magical day at the Overbrook House in Bourne. So much thought and love went into this event, I felt truly lucky to be a part of it! Both bride and groom are chefs, so needless to say, all the edibles were delicious. Add that to a setting that exudes nothing but whimsy and romance and you have a wedding to remember! But first, Molly’s lovely details, including a bouquet with a feather from her favorite rooster who used to live on her friend’s farm; the rooster is also a symbol of John’s Portuguese heritage, so it is extra-meaningful to them!

And because it takes the ladies a bit longer to prepare than the gents, the boys got to play some croquet on the lawn while they waited!

The ceremony took place beneath a large oak tree on the property, and pumpkins and sunflowers abounded! The symbol of the acorn was incorporated into many aspects of the day; Molly’s mother had recently found two acorns fused together, and just by chance, the acorn was already the theme of their invitations! Molly also wrote a poem about acorns which a friend read during the ceremony, and the mothers participated in a planting of that special double-acorn for the couple. It was all so lovely and personal and fit well into the farm atmosphere of Overbrook.

The Overbrook House grounds are full of romantic, beautiful spots for portraits, and we took full advantage of all of them! Molly and John are so in love, it was easy to capture it photographically. They are also a hilarious, spunky duo, so we got some quirky shots in, too, including a fake “interrupted by the paparazzi” sequence, balancing on a diving board, and a guest’s idea, “floating away with balloons” – both the serious lovey-dovey shots and the absurd ones were so much fun! I could have spent all day wandering the property with these two …

Molly and John had a full day of fun planned for their guests. First up, a delectable lunch. Then, a trek through the trees to a reception in the barn. Everything was beyond beautiful!

Molly and John, you could not be a sweeter couple and it could not have been a better day. Thank you for having me be a part of your day. It was gorgeous in every way!

Merideth and Rory had a lovely, intimate wedding at XV Beacon Hotel in downtown Boston. Their nearest and dearest were treated to a gourmet dinner at Mooo and a touching display of the couple’s love! I started the day with Merideth and her breathtaking dress in one of the hotel’s suites, followed by the ceremony in Mooo’s wine cellar (rain forced us down from the roof deck, unfortunately). The weather did cooperate later, though, and we were able to do some portraits outside – gotta love Boston streets for photos! The hotel offered some nice settings, as well. The reception took place back in the wine cellar where there were some hilarious toasts (and using both candles and iPhones to light up the speeches people had written down – it was a bit dark down there!) and a good time was had by all.

Thank you, Merideth and Rory, for having me with you on your wedding day! It was fabulous!

Kate and Dan had a wonderful day wedding at their home in Sudbury – everything was absolutely gorgeous! This intimate affair included some of the most gorgeous floral arrangements I’ve ever seen, including whimsical flowers hanging on ribbons from the tree where their ceremony took place. The tents were lovely, the food was delicious, and Commodore the dog participated, too! The day started at a nearby inn where Kate prepared:

Back at the house, I photographed the rings, and a heart-shaped stone Dan made as part of his proposal to Kate. So sweet! The bouquet was pretty fabulous, as well:

The ceremony was completely unique; about seven of Kate and Dan’s closest friends all acted as “officiants,” each reading a selected passage and sharing their stories of Kate and Dan. It was such a touching, personal event, full of laughs.

While guests enjoyed some pre-lunch cocktails in the outdoor lounge area before proceeding to the tent for a delicious meal …

… Kate and Dan and I took some portraits! They are the sweetest couple, with the cutest dog, too!

The floral design was stunning. I could not stop taking photos of all the details! I want to live in these tablescapes:

And, oh, the food! Absolutely delicious. Unbelievably delicious. It really set the scene for a delightful cocktail hour and a fabulous luncheon, complete with funny and sentimental speeches galore:

Kate and Dan, thank you for having me there on your wedding day. Your laughter is still ringing in my ears!

Last month we took a trip to DC for our nephew’s first birthday! How time flies … poor Owain wasn’t feeling very well so we didn’t take too many photos, but he still got to enjoy his carrot cake muffin with cream cheese frosting (as did I!)!

Happy big ONE, little guy. Whether you’ve got pants on your head, food on your face, or you’re splashing it up at the pool, you are 100% pure unadulterated adorableness. It’s been so fun to follow you through this first year.

Pure magic. That is how I would describe Tricia and Phil’s vintage wedding at the beautiful Smolak Farms in North Andover, styled by the genius Jillian at New England Vintage Rentals. Pure magic.

When I met Tricia and Phil last year, we hit it off instantly. I’m a vintage-loving girl myself, and it just so happened that the red and white Swiss dot dress I was wearing matched Tricia’s red and white Swiss dot top! We were meant to work together! I was enchanted by Tricia and Phil together – their love is so palpable, it is a joy to be around them. They are two genuinely happy people and I knew their wedding would be a celebration to remember!

Let’s start with the bride’s incredible details: her grandmother’s wedding hat from the ’40s and her lovely pink shoes, sitting atop a dress her grandmother wore to her daughter’s (Tricia’s mother’s) wedding in the ’70s (which Tricia’s worn on several occasions). I love the family history!

Tricia chose a fresh flower corsage to pin to her dress – such a lovely idea! She’s talented, too – she did her own hair and it looked absolutely amazing!

Smolak Farms was a fabulous venue for this fête – beautiful orchards and woodlands abound. I can’t wait to show you the portraits, so without further ado, here are Tricia and Phil in their newlywed glory!

Swoon! Tricia and Phil were a pleasure to photograph. They are so incredibly sweet together! I could have taken portraits of them all day long. But, there was a lot of other gorgeous stuff to photograph, too, including all of the beautiful rustic details – take a look …

And just look at the cake, fashioned like a vintage hat box, and the delicious pies! Yummers!

Tricia and Phil’s ceremony was as joyful as they are; I go to a lot of these things, and these two made me cry! A good friend and her husband sang the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros song “Home” and I just couldn’t stop myself from tearing up.

After the wonderful “I Do”s, we did some group photographs, all of the lovely couple photos, and then it was on to cocktail hour! With mason jars filled with signature cocktails, mustache cookies and temporary tattoos for a do-it-yourself mustache photobooth, and artisan jellos shots, it was a great kickoff to the evening!

The evening continued with delicious food, heartfelt speeches (including a tearful one from the bride’s sister – adorable!), and very sweet dances:

After dinner, the fun went on and on and on with contra dancing! Music was provided by a great folk band and a wonderful man taught all the guests the steps, then called them out. What a kick!

Amid all this, we managed to fit in a mini maternity shoot for Tricia’s sister! Isn’t she gorgeous? Congratulations, Christie and Brandon! I can’t wait to hear about your new arrival soon!

Before we knew it, it was time for Tricia and Phil’s magical exit in a 1939 burgundy Cadillac limo. The style never ends with these two!

Congratulations, Tricia and Phil! It was a night to remember and I am so grateful that I could be a part of it.

And a special thanks goes out to my dear friend and second shooter for the day, Tara Lynn Sen. I couldn’t have done it without you, girl!